Advika walked to the sofa and sat down, bending over to unbuckle her heels.
"We need the money, and besides, what would I do with so many clothes? It would be such a waste to just leave them in the closet."
"But I really like some of those clothes!" Sylvia pouted.
"I’m not selling everything, Sylvia," Advika sighed, slipping off her second shoe.
"Okay... We’ll go through them, and you and Mum can take what you like. The rest... I’ll sell them."
"What about you?" Sylvia asked, a frown creasing her brow.
"I’ll take what I like too... Now, Sylvia, I need to get ready for dinner."
"Dinner? Did Christopher ask you out on a date?" Sylvia asked.
"What? No... What are you talking about?!" Advika stammered, a blush creeping up her neck.
"Then why is your face suddenly so red?" Sylvia asked, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.
"You! It’s not Christopher! His mother invited me... That’s all. It’s not a date!" Advika explained quickly, her cheeks now burning.
"Wait... Chris’s mother invited you personally?"
"Hmm..." Advika nodded, placing her heels neatly beside the sofa.
"I need to get ready, I can’t be late, if she gets offended, Christopher might not help me again, and i need his help to cure father." She added, while Sylvia slowly nodded her head.
’I will give that pill to mother. I must grow stronger to cure my father.’ She thought.
[Northern side of Cordelia.]
Three women descended gracefully from their black-feathered eagles, landing silently on the rooftop of the city’s tallest building. Confusion and shock etched their faces as they stared at the setting sun.
"I don’t understand," one of them muttered.
"How did he slip through our fingers?" she asked, turning to her two companions.
"Do you think this is a bad omen?" another asked, gently stroking her eagle’s plumage. "We fabricated our identities and even managed to get his brother’s contact information, but he refuses to divulge anything about this Christopher... Maybe we should just abandon the bounty."
"Yeah..." the third woman added, a slight frown marring her features. "This Christopher commands more than fifteen beasts, all in the legendary stage, or even stronger. They even took down that powerful lady. Now I understand why the bounty is a billion. This guy is clearly a killing machine."
"So what are you two suggesting?" the first woman asked, turning to face them. "You’re saying we should give up a billion-dollar bounty?"
The two women exchanged a look, then glanced at their loyal eagles. With newfound resolve, they turned back to the first, who seemed to be their leader.
"We three are the Blood Vipers," one began. "We’ve taken on countless bounties and completed every single one successfully... But this mission feels different. We’re tasked with assassinating Christopher Valhalla, who not only controls over fifteen legendary beasts but can also fly... All signs point to him being far from the weak, carefree youngest son we were led to believe."
"Yes! We need to withdraw," the second woman agreed, and added:
"I heard Red Flames has taken on this mission. As the top assassin in Skull, I’m sure she’ll succeed. I say we fall back."
The leader stared at her two sisters and a small smile touched her lips.
"Okay... I’m not some stubborn fool. This target is clearly beyond our capabilities. We’ll leave it to Red Flames."
She exhaled softly. "Phoenix has never missed a mark."
The two sisters sighed in relief, smiles returning to their faces.
"Thank you... But we can still keep Adonis’s contact information, right?" one asked.
"It’s always good to have connections. Just tell him we left the academy and returned to our hometown, but we’ll stay in touch," the leader instructed, and the woman nodded in agreement.
Xing ambled into her living room, clad in comfortable pajamas, a bowl of popcorn clutched in her hand.
"What is it this time...? Movie night is about to start, and someone’s calling," she sighed, reaching for her phone on the coffee table.
"Huh? Why is she calling?" With another sigh, she answered.
"Why are you calling me?!" she demanded.
"Have you heard from Sunny yet?" a voice echoed from the other end.
"Yes... He’s on his way to Cordelia," Xing replied, sinking onto her plush couch.
"Wow... What a beauty!"
"I didn’t think a woman could be so cute and gorgeous!"
"Wow... If only she could be my girlfriend!"
A young woman with long, purple hair styled in a high ponytail moved through the airport terminal, her violet eyes scanning the gawking men. Her phone was pressed to her left ear, while her right hand pulled a sleek suitcase.
"What a pleasant surprise. I’ve just arrived in Cordelia," she said into the phone.
This captivating woman was none other than Phoenix, widely known as Red Flames, and the formidable second Beast King of Christopher.
"Huh?! What are you doing in Cordelia?" Xing asked, a note of surprise in her voice.
"Naturally, I’m on a mission... I need detailed information about someone named Christopher."
Xing froze, Phoenix’s words sending a chill down her spine. She blinked a few times and then asked, her voice strained:
"Christopher? What Christopher? Is... is he your target?"
"Why so many questions? Yes, he’s my target... You know I don’t eliminate innocent individuals, so I need his life details."
Xing shot to her feet, shock coursing through her. "Can you... can you send me his picture?"
"Alright... Hold on a moment."
Xing waited, her breath caught in her throat. A notification pinged on her phone, and with trembling fingers, she tapped it open.
"No!" Her eyes widened in utter horror, seeing the familiar brown hair and hazel eyes.
[Cordelia Airport’s entrance.]
"What happened? Why the sudden silence?" Phoenix asked, her violet gaze sweeping across the bustling street.
"Phoenix... Phoenix, you need to abort that mission! Immediately!"
Xing’s frantic voice crackled through the phone.
Phoenix frowned, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. "Hey! Do you even know who he is?" she demanded.
"Just back down, now!"
"I won’t unless you tell me what’s going on!" Phoenix retorted, her brows furrowing in confusion and growing concern.
"He... He is the Boss!!"
Phoenix froze mid-step, her eyes widening in stunned disbelief.